After meeting with Russian President Vladimir
Putin on June 16, 2001, President Bush told the gathered press: “I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very
straightforward and trustworthy. We had a very good dialogue. I was able to get a sense of his soul.”

Later, it was said that the key to the leaders’
simpatico was Putin’s story about his mother giving him a cross that he continues to carry with him.I have always felt that Putin put one over on Bush and probably bought the crucifix at the airport gift
shop.

Yesterday a deeply disturbing New York Times article confirmed all of this for me.The story, “At the Expense of All Others, Putin Picks a Church,” describes a country where any faith besides the majority Russian Orthodox
Church is discriminated against and oppressed.For Catholics and Baptists, and
especially evangelical Protestants, missionary work is obstructed.

In addition, proselytizing is essentially
outlawed, building new churches is rarely approved by the state and leading members of the orthodox clergy demonize protestant
doctrine.Some churches are forced to meet in apartments.The rhetoric is reminiscent of the anti-Semitism that was once rampant in Europe.In addition, the Orthodox Patriarch takes an active public role in validating Putin’s autocratic
rule.

Almost all independent media outlets have
been closed or threatened if their coverage doesn’t support the Kremlin.Powerful
businessmen who have challenged Putin have been jailed and had their businesses sold out from under them by government diktat
at bargain prices.The courts appear to be a rubber stamp for the state.Opposition candidates seem to have difficulty campaigning without harassment.Foreign non-governmental organizations who promote democracy have seen their activities
severely limited.

Perhaps even more troubling, a former KGB
operative, who accused Putin of masterminding a terrorist plot that created a pretext for renewing the war in Chechnya, was
murdered in London under extremely suspicious circumstances.One of the nation’s
top journalists was gunned down in the vestibule of her apartment.And now, Putin
has anointed his hand-picked successor who is likely to allow Putin to continue to rule the country from the post of prime
minister even though this essentially violates their constitution.

What little progress made by Gorbachev and
Yeltsin after the fall of the atheistic Soviet Union has been completely destroyed by Putin, an ex-KGB agent.He has returned Russia to the threshold of a police state with little condemnation from the US.This is so despite the fact that Russia still has approximately 5,000 nuclear warheads.

How has Putin been able to get away with
this?Russia is more dangerous that al-Qaeda, Iran, N. Korea and China combined,
yet America continues to call Russia an ally.Right now, our diplomacy is focused
on trying to get them to agree to a missile defense system in Europe that doesn’t even work.

Many Russians were upset at their nation’s
diminished stature and power after the Cold War.This has resulted in a backlash
against America.The Russian Orthodox Church then must be viewed as a tool in
Putin’s hands to bolster nationalism as much as a part of the body of Christ.

If this were Iran, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar,
or China the US would be raising incredible alarm bells.Instead, as long as
Russia doesn’t get in our way on the “war on terrorism” we remain silent.Their behavior is deemed acceptable because Russia can veto any US move in the UN Security Council because they are
a permanent member.So much for our principles.Even worse, the Christian church has been less than vocal about this aspect of the “persecuted church.”

The persecution seems to be worse in the
Belgorod region of southwestern Russia, but it is clearly national policy.Don’t
get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with pictures of Jesus in the classroom, as is recommended in Belgorod.In fact, it’s a good thing.But here, the faith is a
pretext for nationalism and re-imposing a near totalitarian regime.

As a man quoted in the New York Times said, “The power holders, they are, as a rule, atheists.”In some cases, former communist officials perceiving the winds blowing from Moscow, have apparently adopted
their faith as a career enhancement.

Many Russians used to long for freedom.They seem to be complacent with the current “Big Brother.”During the Cold War Soviet citizens coveted blue jeans, American cigarettes and rock and roll.They had to surreptitiously obtain what they wanted on the black market.Today, all these things are readily available.They got what they wanted.Is this all they wanted?

More importantly, how can the Russian Orthodox
Church behave in this way?

National strength and ethnicity is placed
ahead of the word of God.However, they are not alone in this.The same can be said about the Catholic Church whose doctrine asserts that only Rome is the true church
and that the pope is infallible.Jews have gutted the Pentateuch of Moses and
chosen the commandments of God that they deem convenient to follow.The same
can be said of Muslims.Extremist evangelicals here in the US call damnation
down on the non-“elect” who fail to adhere to their self-proclaimed conservative “requirements” for
being saved.

For Christians, we must accept that this
is wrong, here as well as in Russia.Anywhere for that matter.Otherwise, you downplay extent of the Lord’s grace, mercy and forgiveness.

Hebrews
11:6 implies that those who
sincerely seek God shall besaved, and the Catholics accepted this in Vatican II.The New Testament says that, “The Lord is not slack concerning His
promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us,not willing that any should perish but that all
should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).Look up the Greek, “willing” refers to the will of the omnipotent God.

We must agree on a few simple concepts as
Christians.There is much that we won’t know until we get to heaven.Until then, it is incumbent upon us all to learn to disagree without being disagreeable.

Jesus Christ preached against
sectarianism and said that “he who is not against us is for us” (Luke 9:49-50,
Mark 9:38-41).So, let us be of one
accord (Philippians 2:2).True and
total love requires nothing less.